How would his life have been different if he had allowed Bernie to be his dad? A knot of fear formed in Thomas O'Shea's belly. He didn’t deserve a father or a real family. How often had his mother shrieked at him about how worthless he was?

Thomas tumbled back in time to the four-year-old boy hiding in a closet watching Bernie O’Shea choke his mother. But she hadn’t died that night. She had been part of a cruel hoax to blackmail Bernie, with no one thinking of the consequences to a kid who might have experienced the nightmare.

Now Thomas had a family who covered his back, and a woman who challenged his excuses. He vowed his path was going to be different.

Without the filter of his adolescent anger, Thomas could see the love Bernie had for each of his kids–even him. And though Bernie tried to hide it, Thomas also saw the hurt and disappointment flicker in his eyes when Thomas pushed away Bernie’s efforts to show that love.

“Too late to apologize now, Bernie, but I can help prove you didn’t kill my mother.”

More than a chance to make up for his years of being the family’s bad boy, the future of Thomas’ family and the small town of Halo hinged on the outcome of this dramatic plan.

JENNY BATTAGLIA

Asked to leave her adoptive parents’ house when she was eighteen to make room for more adoptees, Jenny dreamed of college and a new life. These dreams were destroyed in a heartbeat when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and plowed into the passenger side of the car Jenny was driving.

“There’s no physical reason you can’t walk,” the doctors said after months of tests. Yet living her life in a wheelchair seemed small penance to pay for the guilt over her best friend’s death.

Jenny became a zealous adoption search advocate known as The Wizard for her ability to leave no keystroke untouched to find biological families.

Meeting Thomas O'Shea brought out Jenny's determination to walk again. Not just toddle around using walls or counters for assistance like a child learning to walk. But to stride across the middle of a room or down a sidewalk. Maybe even ride a motorcycle.

Sharing Thomas' journey to save his family, Jenny finds love and a new career hiding out in boarded up buildings and bringing the bad guys to their knees. This grand adventure appealed to her desire to see justice done. In spite of the danger, she was excited about this new challenge and thought it might be rather exciting to be someone different with each assignment.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Rochelle closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, then moved into her warm-up routine. She hadn't had the time to do any kick-boxing for awhile, but already her body hummed in anticipation of the challenge.

Johnny was not her opponent, but the cancer that had invaded her body. No battle was more important than this one. No prize more vital: her life.

Her first moves were simple. A few easy punches before she bobbed and danced away, though there was no need for defense as Johnny threw no punches. If only the disease was as yielding. Instead it had snuck up and attacked without warning. Rochelle jabbed with her right hand and followed with a punch from her left.

Adrenaline pumped through Rochelle's body as the familiar moves flexed and worked her muscles, and brought a smile to her face. Then she lifted first one knee and the other, followed by a series of alternating punches. Right, left, right.

Rochelle drew a deep breath and blew it out, already feeling winded less than ten minutes into sparring and hating that weakness.

She pushed herself to throw the momentum of her body into a right cross, then spun around to deliver a one-two kick before bouncing away on the balls of her feet.

She moved toward Johnny again, throwing another flurry of kicks and punches, feeling the heat in her body and fighting the fatigue slowly creeping over her.

"Let's take a break." Johnny caught her in a clinch.

Rochelle shook her head and moved away, throwing another right hook that fell wide of Johnny's head.

A vision of the damning spots in the x-rays filled her head, and Rochelle delivered another combination of kicks to Johnny's mid-section. In her mind, the lumps dissolved a little more each time she made contact.

She threw a knee, followed by a side-kick, and another spot disappeared from her mind's eye. Rabbit punches with her right hand eliminated a few more.

Rochelle kicked and punched until the vision in her head was clear of spots and fatigue was claiming her body, sapping her energy as it spread from her arms, down her torso, and turned her feet to leaden weights. She fell against Johnny in a clinch, and he supported her as her body went limp. Spent and sweaty, Rochelle surrendered to the exhaustion claiming her.

From her bio: "In 2009, Michelle was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer, and she realized that 'somedays' aren’t guaranteed. This life changing event motivated Michelle to pursue her dream of becoming an author. After publishing her first two novels in the Long Shot Series, Michelle (now a cancer survivor), decided to use her platform to promote awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. In January 2014 she published, Are You Listening: A Personal Journal of an Ovarian Cancer Survivor...one hundred percent of the proceeds from this $.99 ebook go directly to the Vicki Welsh Ovarian Cancer Fund..."

Another author with an impressive background: "Her adventure novels take place in locales across Europe and the United States, reflecting her international upbringing and extensive time as a global traveler...A lover of all things medieval, she became a speaker of many tongues—literally—including Spanish, French, Italian, and German, as well as reading Latin, Middle English, and old French."

An array of impressive accomplishments in her bio--in addition to being an award-winning author--including: "...she renovated homes, bought and managed several residential properties and obtained a real estate license...She is an accomplished ballet dancer...and has studied piano for over forty years. Musical studies also include violin and organ."

From her "about" page: "I then enjoyed a long career in the fashion and applied arts industries including running my own successful women’s wear, children’s wear and jewellery labels...I enjoy several hobbies including photography and making historical costumes. Fortunately, I can combine these two interests and use them to produce the covers of my (historical) novels. The costume on the cover of The Moral Compass was the first one I made. I enjoyed the process so much that I have made several more costumes from various periods that will feature on future covers."